Jessie Gardner, 19, of College Hill isn't sure what he'd be doing right now if it hadn't been for Michael Kelly of Roselawn. But he probably wouldn't be studying real estate at Cincinnati State.

"I don't think I'd be going to college without him," said Gardner, who graduated from Taft High School in the spring and is in his first year of college. "He kept me on track, and a lot of other people, like my coach, kept me on track."

Gardner played fullback and defensive back his senior year on Taft High School's revived football team. Through the Urban League of Cincinnati's Coach program, designed to help students stay eligible at Taft, he was matched with a mentor - Kelly.

The 51-year-old real estate agent with K&D Real Estate and football alumnus at Woodward High School volunteered for the Coach program, formally known as Citizens Organized for Athletes Committed to High Performance. He thought it was important to give teens like Gardner a helping hand.

"A lot of them were put in a position where they had a lot of work to do and very little time," Kelly said. "(Coach) Mike Martin has done a tremendous job, and I wanted to be a part of that. (The kids) are so high on themselves. They're concentrating on something positive."

New eagle scouts: Scudder reaches pinnacle

John Scudder III, of Troop 301 sponsored by St. John's Church, has achieved Eagle Scout, highest rank of the Boy Scouts of America. For his community service project, he and his crew built picnic tables for the Curry Farm Girl Scout Day Camp in Delhi Township. The Oak Hills High School senior is the son of Mary Jane and John Scudder Jr. of Delhi Township.

Giving back:

19 blood donors honored

Donating blood to sustain life is as important to John A. Yaeger during the holiday season as giving a gift.

Yaeger, of Loveland, is among 19 donors honored by Hoxworth Blood Center after reaching the 10-gallon milestone (or higher) for blood donations during the first half of November. He donated 10 gallons.